Hello Blues fans, sorry for the delay…sadly we’ve been down this road already.
Early lead lost on home ice. However, losing the lead in the first period, that is a little new.
I think there are some trends to this game we can look at to see what went wrong.
The Nashville Defensemen
Nashville was able to use their defensemen to pressure the play for long stretches in the forst two periods. Partially because they are so darn good, but also because the Blues forward pressure and North/South game were not up to standard. When a team is as deep on the blueline as Nashville, you cannot let them press the play. When you do you end up with little puck control of your own.
Lack of Control
The Blues didn’t make good puck decisions, which Murray alluded to in his post game presser. To win you need to control the puck. I hate to harp on Brad Boyes, but he missed many shots last night. One of which lead to the play going back down on Mason where Polak took a slashing penalty and that lead to a power play goal. Its small events like not getting a shot on net that turn in to goals against when you aren’t working hard enough. Players want the puck, they need to feel it to get a feel for the game. COudl the Blues ever get in rhythm when they cannot possess and control the puck?
Those two trends really break down the first period for me. Teh second was a little different.
Questionable Calls and Bad Penalties
While I really question the Oshie boarding, what ensued afterwards is what did the Blues in. The Predators basically spent the first 8-10 minutes of the second period on the power play due to a horrible high stick on the part of Jackman and a mental mistake on Weaver resulting in a delay of game. Do we have Jackman and Weaver penalties if the clean Oshie hit isn’t called? Probably not. Still, the Blues cannot let bad calls turn in to bad penalties. Tkachuck also had a lazy tripping call. At least Oshie’s was for being “over aggressive”.
Weak Power Plays at Home
The Blues allowed another poor road power play team to get many chances and score goals. Again, Nashville has a very underrated group of blueliners. However, the Blues couldn’t stop them on the power play. The Blues are supposed to be able to count on their team defense to hold them in games, it failed them again Tuesday. Case in point? Weaver not clearing the puck but trying to pass it to Backes who was in the slot about five feet in front of the crease. Lead to a huge chance and not a clear. The penalty kill was just not working hard.
Continued Lack of Control
The Blues did have a few moments of pressure, but those were mainly from the work of McDonald, Backes and Oshie. The Preds Defensemen got a lot of shots through and the team held the zone or at least the red line. For some reason the Blues face-off wins did not turn in to possession. Mental mistakes lead to turnovers and it happened again. The Blues inability to break forecheck pressure lead to a lack of essential puck management and control.
I will give some kudos to Eric Brewer for bringing the heat on the power play and getting shots through. Wa teh third different? Yes and No.
More of the Same and Not at the Same Time
The Blues one again were down at home in the third and cam roaring back late. More of the same.
The Blues tried again much too late and it wasn’t enough. More of the same.
The Blues moved the play and puck forward and created chances. Different from the rest of the game.
Boyes had weak offensive zone turnovers. One on a 4-on4 and the other on a 6-on-5. More of the same.
Backes makes a great physical play to create a turnover. Backes takes a dumb penalty on a lazy horse collar tackle a football player would be proud of. More of the same.
Colaiacovo and Jackman failed to hold the offensive blueline. More of the same.
Somethings I did Like
Polak showed more offensive ability than he ever has. He made a very nice near face-off circle to far side red line pass to McDonald to spring him for a chance and a penalty call against Nashville. He joined the rush and helped create pressure. One play the puck rotated to a high slot shot that Polak nearly banged in for a rebound goal about two feet from the crease. He also made a second stretch pass up to McClement from the top of the face-off circle to Jay at the offensive blue-line. The Polak rebound chance comes at about 3:40 of the video linked below.
What a crazy awesome nuts goal by Steen. He picked up the puck at the far side face-off circle in his own end to blaze up ice to beat Pekka Rinne between his shoulder and the crossbar. The ONLY place that puck could have gone in, it did. The goal is on the video linked below, it comes between 3:55 and 4:10. Steen also had a big shot off the point to create the third Blues goal. That highlight follows the seeing eye goal.
Blues vs Predators Highlights 12-29-09
Even after the heroics of the third period, the Blues come up short and lose 4-3 at home.
It really was another day at the Scottrade Office for the Blues. It’s frustrating and depressing, but it is what it is.
I have made issue recently the Blues inability or lack of desire to engage the defensemen in the creation of pressure and scoring chances. Here is what I came up with.
Total Pinches
1st – 2 from Sydor
2nd – 1 from Brewer & 1 from Sydor
3rd – 2 from Brewer, 1 from Polak, & 1 from Sydor
TOTAL: 8
* Defined as a defensemen leaving the point to come down the wall to keep the play moving forward or hold the zone.
Total Defensemen “Jumping in to the Play”
1st – 2 from Colaiacovo, 1 from Polak, & 1 from Sydor
2nd – 1 from Polak, 1 from Brewer, & 1 from Sydor
3rd – 4 from Polak, 1 from Jackman, 1 from Brewer & 1 from Colaiacovo
TOTAL: 14
* Defined as coming behind the net, joining the rush, coming in deep on net, etc.
I have postulated that the Blues are not trying to engage the defense unless the team is already losing. We cannot tell too much since the team was losing virtually the whole game. What bothers me is I really only saw one time where a Blues defensemen lugged the puck up ice, to the red line or further. The majority of the plays were the defensmen coming low on net or behind the net. Which is fine, but that’s not helping the Blues struggling transition. This is where Erik Johnson, Colaiacovo, and Polak need to be “free’d” to create more chances and pressure. It would give this team a whole other element they have been missing. An element Nashville used against the Blues to win the game Tuesday night.
Next up is the Vancouver Canucks on New Year’s Eve. See you all at the game. Let’s hope for a positive end to 2009 and a positive start to 2010.
Blues Player of the Game
Alex Steen
Steen notched a Goal and an Assist with a Plus-1 rating in a little over 15 minutes on the ice.
